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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Beauty Of Animal |Tasmanian Devil| As funny as it was, the familiar Looney Tunes portrayal of a Tasmanian devil, gurgling growl, insatiable lunatic is, at times, not all that far from the truth. Tasmanian devils have known cantankerous disposition and will fly into mad mad when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. The early European settlers dubbed the "devil" after witnessing such displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of bone-chilling guttural growl.

Mammals have the famed feisty brown or black fur coat rough and muscular profile that gives them the appearance of a baby bear. Most have white lines or patches on their chest and light spots on the sides or the back. They have long legs front and back legs are shorter, giving their gait, slow piglike. The Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, reaching 30 inches (76 cm) in length and weighing up to 26 pounds (12 kilograms), although its size will vary depending on the specific range and availability of food. Its oversize head houses sharp teeth and strong jaw muscles that can deliver, pound for pound, one of the most powerful bite of any mammal.

Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, living on small prey such as snakes, birds, fish, and insects and often communal feasting on the carcass. They are their most rowdy when jockeying for position at the carcass. As with other marsupials, when they are well fed, their tails swell with stored fat. Satan is a solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves or burrows, and emerge at night to feed. They use long whiskers and a very good sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and find prey and carrion. They will eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth, and when they do find food, they're greedy, consuming everything-including hair, organs, and bones.

Mother gave birth after about three weeks of pregnancy to 20 or 30 very tiny young. It's the size of a baby crawling up raisin mother fur and into her pouch. However, the mother has only four nipples, so only a handful of babies survive. Babies appear after about four months and generally weaned by the sixth month, and by the eighth. Once abundant throughout Australia Tasmanian devils are now indigenous only island state Tasmania. They range covers the entire island of Tasmania, although they are partial to coastal scrublands and forests. Biologists speculate that their extinction in mainland Asia due to the introduction of dogs, or dingoes.

Efforts in the 1800s to eradicate Tasmanian devils, which farmers erroneously believed to have killed livestock (although they are known to take poultry), which was almost successful. In 1941, the government made the devil a protected species, and their number has been growing steadily ever since.

Tragically, though, catastrophic illness discovered in the mid-1990s has killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils. Called the devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), is rapidly spreading condition is a rare contagious cancer that causes large bumps to form around the mouth and head of the animal, making it difficult for it to eat. The animal eventually dies of starvation. Animal health experts execution populations where the disease is not yet up and focused on breeding programs to save the species from extinction. Since the outbreak, the Australian government has listed Tasmanian devils as vulnerable.

Beauty Of Animal | Cockatoo | Parrot and sulfur crested, Cacatua galerita, is a relatively large white parrot found in forested habitats in Australia and New Guinea. Can be very numerous and locally, leading them sometimes lesions that are being considered. It is well known in breeding birds, although it can be claimed pets.In Australia, can be found on the sulfur crested cockatoos on a large scale in the north and east, starting as far south as Tasmania, but avoid the interior arid with few trees. They are numerous in suburban habitats in cities such as Adelaide and Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. With the exception of upland areas, they occur in most parts of New Guinea and neighboring small islands, such as Waigeo, Misool and Aru, and various islands in the Gulf and the Gulf of Cenderawasih Milne.

There are four breeds recognized; C g was found on the Triton (Temminck, 1849) in New Guinea and surrounding islands, C. (G) is limited elenora (Finsch, 1867) to the Aru Islands between Australia and New Guinea, C. (G) fitzroyi (Matthews, 1912) in northern Australia from Western Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria and the nomination of the strains found from Cape York in the state of Tasmania.In Australia, sulfur crested cockatoos from the nomination race was introduced to Perth, which is now outside the normal range.
Outside Australia, that have been made to Singapore, where their numbers are estimated between 500 and 2000. As has been because they Palau and New Zealand. New Zealand has made the population less than 1000. Have been registered as such in the various islands and Alakija (such as the Kai Islands and Ambon), but it is not clear if he had managed to become there.It facility and a total length of 45-55 cm (18-22 inches), with the Australian strain is greater than strains from New Guinea and neighboring islands.

The total white feathers, while the underwing and tail tinged yellow. Summit expressive yellow. Black and gray bill, legs and eye ring is white. Males usually have almost black eyes, while females have more red or brown eye, but this needs to be seen to optimal viewing conditions. Differences between breeds and subtle. C. g fitzroyi similar to the nomination race, but lacks the yellow on the ear tufts and a little blueish skin around the eye. C, g g-like Eleonora C. fitzroyi but smaller and wider and feathers in the custom, and C (g) g Triton-like C. Eleonora but the smallest bill.It is similar in appearance to the three types of corellas exist in Australia. However, is the smallest corellas, lacking a prominent pale yellow top and her bills. In captivity, is easily confused with sulfur crested parrot, the parrot with a smaller yellow crowned parrot or blue eyes with a different form on the top and a darker blue eye ring.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Beauty Of Animal | Snowshoe Hare | The snowshoe hare, also called the varying hare, or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round. The snowshoe hare is also distinguishable by the black tufts of fur on the edge of its ears. Its ears are shorter than those of most other hares.In summer, it feeds on plants such as, grass, ferns and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants and, similar to the Arctic hare, has been known to steal meat from baited traps.

Hares are carnivorous under the availability of dead animals, and have been known to eat dead rodents such as mice due to low availability of protein in an herbivorous diet. It can sometimes be seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate. The snowshoe hare may have up to four litters in a year which average three to eight young. Males compete for females, and females may breed with several males.

Snowshoe hares feed at night, following well worn forest paths to feed on trees and shrubs, grasses, and plants. These animals are nimble and fast, which is fortunate, because they are a popular target for many predators. Lynx, fox, coyote, and even some birds of prey hunt this wary hare. Like most hares (and rabbits), snowshoe hares are prolific breeders. Females have two or three litters each year, which include from one to eight young per litter. Young hares, called leverets, require little care from their mothers and can survive on their own in a month or less. Snowshoe hare populations fluctuate cyclically about once a decade possibly because of disease. These waning and waxing numbers greatly impact the animals that count on hares for food, particularly the lynx.

Snowshoe hares are forest-dwellers that prefer the thick cover of brushy undergrowth. They are primarily a northern species that inhabits boreal forests and can also range as far north as the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Along North American mountain ranges, where elevation simulates the environment of more northerly latitudes, they can be found as far south as Virginia (the Appalachians) and New Mexico (the Rockies). Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears. Snowshoe hares have especially large, furry feet that help them to move atop snow in the winter. They also have a snow-white winter coat that turns brown when the snow melts each spring. It takes about ten weeks for the coat to completely change color.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Beauty Of Animal | Pronghorn | The pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a species of artiodactyl mammal endemic to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, or simply antelope, as it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to convergent evolution. It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae.

During the Pleistocene period, 12 antilocaprid species existed in North America. About five existed when humans entered North America[citation needed] and all but A. americana are now extinct Each "horn" of the pronghorn is composed of a slender, laterally flattened blade of bone that grows from the frontal bones of the skull, forming a permanent core.

As in the Giraffidae, skin covers the bony cores, but in the pronghorn it develops into a keratinous sheath which is shed and regrown on an annual basis. Unlike the horns of the family Bovidae, the horn sheaths of the pronghorn are branched, each sheath possessing a forward-pointing tine (hence the name pronghorn). The horns of males are well developed. Fleet-footed pronghorns are among the speediest animals in North America. They can run at more than 53 miles (86 kilometers) an hour, leaving pursuing coyotes and bobcats in the dust. Pronghorns are also great distance runners that can travel for miles at half that speed.

Pronghorns are about three feet (one meter) tall at the shoulders. They are reddish brown, but feature white stomachs and wide, white stripes on their throats. When startled they raise the hair on their rumps to display a white warning patch that can be seen for miles. By the 1920s, hunting pressure had reduced the pronghorn population to about 13,000. Protection of habitat and hunting restrictions have allowed their numbers to recover to an estimated population of between 500,000 and 1,000,000.

There has been some recent decline in a few localized populations, due to blue tongue disease which is spread from sheep; however the overall trend has been positive since conservation measures were put in place. Pronghorn migration corridors are threatened by habitat fragmentation and the blocking of traditional migration routes. In a migration study conducted by Lava Lake Institute for Science and Conservation and the Wildlife Conservation Society, at one point the migration corridor bottlenecks to an area only 200 yards wide.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Beauty Of Animal | Wildebeest | Gnus belong to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, and other even-toed horned ungulates. Connochaetes includes two species, both native to Africa: the black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu (C. gnou), and the blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu (C. taurinus). Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in northern and southern species. The blue wildebeest changed very little from the ancestor species, while the black wildebeest took on more morphological changes to adapt to a habitat of open grassland in the south. Today, the blue wildebeest has five subspecies, while the black wildebeest has no named subspecies. In East Africa, the wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species, both in population and biomass

The ungainly gnu earned the Afrikaans name wildebeest, or "wild beast," for the menacing appearance presented by its large head, shaggy mane, pointed beard, and sharp, curved horns. In fact, the wildebeest is better described as a reliable source of food for the truly menacing predators of the African savanna: lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas. The gnu (pronounced "g-new" or simply "new") is a member of the antelope family, although its heavy build and disproportionately large forequarters make it look more bovine. Gnus can reach 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length, stand 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) tall at the shoulders and weigh up to 600 pounds (272 kilograms). Both males and females grow horns.

Their habitat comprises the grassy plains and open woodlands of central, southern, and eastern Africa, particularly the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya. They travel in large herds and are active day and night, grazing constantly. Their spectacular northward migration in search of greener pastures is dictated by weather patterns, but usually takes place in May or June. It is considered one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth, involving up to 1.5 million wildebeests as well as hundreds of thousands of other animals, including zebra and gazelle. Up to 500,000 calves are born in February and March each year, at the beginning of the rainy season. Calves learn to walk within minutes of birth and within days are able to keep up with the herd. Gnus can live to be 20 years old.

The most striking morphological differences between the black and blue wildebeests are the orientation and curvature of their horns and the color of their coats. The blue wildebeest is the bigger of the two species. In males, blue wildebeest stand 150 cm tall at the shoulder and weigh around 250 kg, while the black wildebeest stands 111 to 120 cm tall and weighs about 180 kg. In females, blue wildebeest have a shoulder height of 135 cm and weigh 180 kg while black wildebeest females stand 108 cm at the shoulder and weigh 155 kg. The horns of blue wildebeest protrude to the side then curve downwards before curving up back towards the skull, while the horns of the black wildebeest curve forward then downward before curving at the upwards at the tips.

Blue wildebeest tend to be a dark grey color with stripes, but may have a shiny blue color. The black wildebeest has brown-coloured fur, with a mane that ranges in color from cream to black, and a cream-coloured tail end. The blue wildebeest lives in a wide variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, while the black wildebeest tends to reside exclusively in open grassland areas. The blue wildebeest migrates over long distances in the winter, whereas the black wildebeest does not. The milk of the female black wildebeest contains higher protein, lower fat, and lower lactose content than the milk of female blue wildebeests